degrassifandomcom-20200223-history
Talk:Sparks Will Fly (2)/@comment-24990552-20140418233254
Annie already wrote a Sansa Stark essay, and although I will never surpass such a brilliant testimony to defend this character, I just wanted to post my thoughts on her as well. I’m going to write other essays about various characters on the show, but I felt it was appropriate to write one about Sansa because I am utterly disgusted by the cruelty that the Internet has practically ingrained into poor Sansa. Although Sansa is not my ultimate favorite (I’ve actually made it obvious that Daenerys is), I still consider her one of my queens on the show and I absolutely love everything about her. So, may I present to you -- Sansa Stark. Poor Sansa Stark has literally been forced to marry a member of the family that killed them and every time she thinks she might finally escape King's Landing, her hopes are dashed. And on top of all that, the Internet literally despises her. The elder Stark daughter is often cited as one of the most reviled characters on Game of Thrones, which is really saying something; this is the same show that brought us a king who ties up a prostitute and shoots her to death with a crossbow, so it's a bit odd that people are ganging up on a simple teenage girl for the crime of being "utterly useless and whiny." Not coincidentally, Sansa Stark is also one of the most classically feminine characters on the show. She may possess both a kindness and mental fortitude that puts others in her society to utter shame, but she also has a penchant for romance, castles and lovely dresses. While her universally (and understandably) adored little sister Arya rolls her eyes at anything ladylike and wields a sword, Sansa conforms to the role of the obedient noblewoman she has been associated with and expected of since birth. Despite the fact that her grace, manners and ability (also, willingness) to play the part of a respectful young lady are what keep her alive at court, it is for this offense that she is deemed "incredibly annoying”; therefore, because of this trope embedded in her character by the fandom, her mistakes are not readily forgiven and her bravery is completely overlooked. Sure, it’s highly likely that Sansa's ill-advised love for Joffrey may have led her family to the capital, but it's Robb's romantic whims that lead to his and his mother's deaths and the dissolution of his army. And yet, isn’t it just fascinating how Robb is rather well-liked in the fandom, yet Sansa most certainly takes the cake for most criticized character on this whole damn show! And whatever unwitting role Sansa plays in her father's death, Ned Stark's downfall is still largely brought about by his own unflagging adherence to the system of nobility he was raised to honor and possess -- this is literally the exact same system Sansa was raised to believe would reward her if she acted like a proper lady. Sansa has done absolutely no wrongs. Members of the GoT fandom and beyond seem to despise Sansa not because she has the tendency to make a few minor mistakes here and there, but rather because she has the boldness to do so while acting like a young girl...but wait, isn’t that exactly what she is? I see now logic in this counter whatsoever, honestly. What makes the hatred Sansa gets ever more baffling than it already is, is when you consider that she is, without a doubt, one of the few morally sound characters on the show. She's done silly things -- I mean, what else would you expect from a teenage girl with an undoubtedly tainted history? --, but she has also risked her life for others and her morality spills into multiple characters, giving them a desire to protect her. Right now, Sansa may not have Arya's blood-lust, Cersei's political acuity or Dany’s soaring ambition, but she's still one of the strongest characters in the series in my honest and wholehearted opinion. It's just that we're not used to recognizing her strength for what it is. The female characters we tend to applaud typically adhere to a particular formula for strength, one that breaks the mold of how a woman should behave. This can be empowering, but the constant regurgitation of this one type of "strong female character" limits the kind of women we value on screen and dismisses the morals of those who strive to prove themselves in a much different manner -- which is exactly what Sansa, for example, wishes to do. The Westeros gives women two paths towards success: they can either work within the system, or reject it all together. While her sister ultimately chooses to switch her gender identity in order to escape the wrath of King’s Landing, Sansa instead cloaks herself in the mask of proper lady-hood to survive. This shouldn't make her unworthy of respect. It just offers an alternative narrative of how women may navigate a man's world. Sansa may possess feminine traits, but why should that automatically associate her with weakness? She has been able to seek her strength within femininity itself; since when was that considered a sin within this fandom? Being "girly" is not incompatible with being a hero. By surviving King's Landing, and retaining her humanity in the process, Sansa may be a Stark, but that is only half of what she is. Sansa is a hero, regardless of how she wishes to prove that title.